Mother of three Julia said “I was delighted today to get this delivery of free books for my children from Read Your Way Hastings! After 24 hours in quarantine we are going to have so much fun “unboxing” these and sharing them out! If you haven’t heard of this initiative, it’s well worth checking out!”
Read Your Way competition winners
The “Read Your Way” campaign launched a photography competition in June that asked parents to send in pictures of their children reading some of their favourite books; and they have announced the three winners, writes Vanessa Alves.
It was open to any residents in the Borough of Hastings and not just to those who had received free books from “Read Your Way.” 40 photographs were received and the three best pictures, selected by Hastings professional photographer Jeremy Enness, all gained a prize of supermarket vouchers.
The winning photo shows Amaya (aged 3) reading. This photo was submitted by her Mum, Lucy Richardson.
Lucy Richardson said “We are a family of avid readers. I saw the post about the campaign when Amaya happened to be reading a book and took the picture on the spur of the moment. We are thrilled to be a highlight of the “Read Your Way” campaign.
Second prize went to Kim Geiger who submitted a photo of her two boys reading and was entitled “Brotherly reading time”.
Third prize went to Rhiannon Whiting showing Eevee (on the settee) reading Richard Scarry’s Best Nursery Rhymes Ever.
Rhiannon Whiting saw the competition advertised in her local library and was keen to show Eevee’s love of nursery rhymes. She said: “We love reading in our house and are really pleased to demonstrate how children respond to great stories.”
The judge Jeremy Enness said: “All these images demonstrate the joy and the importance of reading. The looks of concentration, the escaping into fantasy worlds, the opportunities for siblings to bond over a book and the chance for children and parents to unite in the pleasure of reading together are all wonderfully illustrated in the entries.”
The “Read Your Way” campaign aims to get more children reading in Hastings and St Leonards. Books are being delivered direct to family homes in the town whilst observing all social distancing rules. This has been made possible by local donations of over 3,000 books in May and an army of volunteers provided by the Education Futures Trust. A great example of the amazing community spirit in Hastings.
If you would to receive some books, please go to our Facebook page and message us. If you don’t have access to the internet, please call John Landels on 07990 926718.
The campaign is part of the Read Your Way initiative, which is being led by Education Futures Trust, working in partnership with the NSMC, FSN, Hastings Storytelling Festival, Culture Shift and 18 Hours. Read Your Way is funded by the Hastings Opportunity Area. The initiative is focusing on promoting a love of reading amongst children and young people in areas with low literacy levels.
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